


Important things

by Redzik



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Bruce is an asshole, Dick is angry, Nightwing #74 ending AU, Ric is finally over, Swearing, frustration went fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:34:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26440507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redzik/pseuds/Redzik
Summary: Bruce was giving him space. Dick sees it differently.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Jason Todd
Comments: 6
Kudos: 137





	Important things

**Author's Note:**

> Yesterday evening I was made aware of the beautiful gem wrapped up in the absolute horror contained within Nightwing #74 issue. Like… WTH BRUCE?!
> 
> Some dialogue from the comic.

“ _Do you really believe that I stayed away from Blüdhaven?”_

Why not?!

“ _That I never checked up on you?”_

Did you?

“ _You know me better than that.”_

Do I?

“How often?” asked Dick. The memories were still swirling in his head, overlapping and disjointed. The things he did, the things he should have never do. And Bruce was saying he was there. Dick had to know for how much.

“ _Many times.”_

What?!

“ _And not just because Alfred and Barbara told me to.”_

Because you have to be told to check on your son, you son of a bitch!

“ _I wanted to make sure you were okay.”_

I wasn’t!

“ _But I also knew you needed to find your way through the fog and I gave you the room to do exactly that...”_

What?!

“… _which is just how I would have wanted it.”_

I’m not you, Bruce!

“ _None of us could conquer this for you, Dick. Only you could beat this thing,”_ Bruce finished with a smug smile, clearly pleased with himself for how he handled this entire situation and expecting thank you’s for his assholish ways.

Dick was long way past the boiling point at the moment. White hot rage and necessity to get his point across cleared his mind into some sort of order.

“You meant to say, that you stood by and watched me sleep in a car?” Dick started through gritted teeth. “You watched me trying to drink myself to death? You watched me break into other people’s houses? You watched me destroying everything I worked for?!” Batman lost his smile and looked wary instead. He opened his mouth to say something but Dick wasn’t done yet, “You stood by and let civilians take my identity and run around the city only to be murdered by Talons?! You stood by and let me be taken by the Court?! You stood by and let me be almost turned into a Talon?! You stood by and let me beat up my little brothers?! All because I had to work through things by myself?! That’s what you meant to say?!”

Batman clenched his jaw stubbornly.

“You wouldn’t kill them,” he drawled out eventually.

“That’s beside the point!” Dick shouted. “I still hurt them!”

“They’ve had worse.”

Oh fucking Hell. Dick’s fingers twitched with the urge to wrap themselves around the Bat’s throat and _squeeze_. How could the man stand there and say that hurting his family was okay?!

“Oh I know,” Dick said in his darkest voice and was gratified to see Batman twitch from the aborted urge to take a step back. “Don’t think I don’t remember what you have done to Jay.”

Speaking off. His oldest little brother was standing beside Batman, looking small and wary. Half of his mask was missing and Dick did remember every single blow he delivered to his body, adding up to the hurt and trauma Jason lived through all his life.

Fucking Bruce.

And dammit! Dick should have been stronger than that. He should have break through the mind control before he laid his hands on his brothers. What kind of example he was otherwise? What kind of an older brother he was for not stopping before hurting the ones he was supposed to protect?

Right. This was not the time for self flagellation. He could do that later. Now he had little brothers to take care of.

“There’s still Joker to take care of,” Batman growled.

“Fuck you, Bruce,” Dick shot back immediately. “There are more important things to worry about.”

He ignored the aggravated Bat and focused on Red Hood, who tensed at the attention.

“Hey, Jay,” Dick said softly and nodded toward hospital building looming over them. “Let’s get you checked over, alright? You too, Tim.”

He stepped up and carefully wrapped one arm around Red Hood’s waist. He gently prodded him into moving and Jason went easily enough. He snatched Robin with his other hand as they passed him.

Dick was pleased his brothers didn’t shy away from him, although he didn’t deserve their trust after all he had done. He squeezed them tighter against his sides. They were so small and young. What happened to them in the time he was galvanizing as Ric? The tall, proud Red Hood reduced to this hunched form. Self assured and smart Red Robin degraded back to Robin. And where was Damian?

Dick shook his head. He will make sure his little brothers he had now in his arms were alright and then they would tackle everything else. Together. As a family.


End file.
